NBA: Knicks face tough closing stretch, starting with Tari Eason-led Rockets

Houston Rockets fourth-year forward Tari Eason was somewhat reticent to admit that a team meeting called before a game at Memphis last Friday had as much to do with Eason as anything else.

Eason had been mired in an extended and miserable slump and had ceded his spot in the starting lineup to second-year guard Reed Sheppard. His teammates wanted to make clear to Eason the vital nature of his role, and the conversation resonated with Eason and yielded an immediate response.

The Rockets (45-29) split a four-game road trip with consecutive wins over the Grizzlies and New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday, with Eason combining for 31 points and 15 rebounds in the victories.

Houston will host the New York Knicks (48-27) on Tuesday in the opener of a stretch of six home games over the final eight games on the schedule, with the Rockets in pursuit of the fourth seed in the West.

Houston is more likely to climb out of sixth in the West should Eason recapture the form he showed before the All-Star break. Before making 3 of 5 3-pointers against the Pelicans, Eason missed 39 of 44 from behind the arc in March. The Rockets wanted Eason to know that his contributions to their success go far beyond shooting, and that his demotion was immaterial.

"Tari has been amazing for us," said Rockets center Alperen Sengun, who had 36 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists against the Pelicans. "Happy to have him back because he's really important for us. He's one of the key guys for the team and he's now understanding that, too.

"He just goes out there and does what he's doing, killing it. That's really important for us."

While Eason is lauded for his infectious energy and tenacious defense, it was obvious that he lost confidence in his shot. A more well-rounded version of Eason would bolster the Rockets' playoff push, and Eason took to heart the fact that his teammates told him precisely that.

"We had a team meeting and got everything out and understood what the expectations are," Eason said. "Guys told me, ‘We need you.' And that's all it was.

"I appreciate everybody. I appreciate Alpi (Sengun) through this stretch. He's sent me stuff, he spoke confidence into me. A lot of these guys have really tried to help me keep my head up."

The Knicks had won eight of 10 games before their road loss to the Charlotte Hornets last Thursday. They followed that with a 111-100 road setback to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday, widening their gap behind the Boston Celtics in the chase of the No. 2 seed in the East.

The Knicks will close the regular season with four consecutive games against playoff teams: on the road against the Atlanta Hawks, before Boston, Toronto and Charlotte pay a visit to Madison Square Garden. That stretch could inform opinions on the Knicks' readiness for the postseason.

"In the playoffs, you depend on execution and discipline," Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns said. "So it's good to go out there and test where our levels are at right now."

-Field Level Media/Reuters